Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, during her coronation ceremony as the Yeye Asiwaju Ile Oodua on Sunday, interrupted Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s speech, threatening to switch off the microphone as he sang.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, on Sunday conferred the title of Yeye Asiwaju Ile Oodua on Mrs Tinubu during the 10th anniversary of his coronation. The title was previously held by the late Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, the wife of the late sage and anti-colonialist Obafemi Awolowo.

Mr Adeleke, in his goodwill speech, praised the first lady as a pillar of national development whose contributions have facilitated numerous impactful initiatives across the country. He also extolled the Ooni’s remarkable decade of transformative leadership.

While he sang Christian songs during the speech, the first lady interrupted him, stating, “Mo maa pa mic yin,” in the Yoruba language, meaning “I’ll switch off your microphone.”

Minutes before Mrs Tinubu’s threat, she had mounted the stage to inform Mr Adeleke that he had five minutes left to wrap up his speech, while showing her five right-hand fingers.

“I’m giving you five minutes to finish your speech. The music is enough,” said Mrs Tinubu.

A video of the moment has sparked controversy since it went viral, as many berated the first lady for “humiliating” a sitting governor.

Reacting to the incident, an X user, Chukwu Emeka, with the handle @Nnaneya, posted, “Constitutionally, the governor is higher than the Ooni of Ife and can dethrone the Ooni. He is also higher than the first lady, who is not constitutionally recognised. It is an insult for the first lady to talk to a sitting governor in that manner. What a display of arrogance.”

“It reflects the mess in our system. How can a first lady with unconstitutional power with no legal authority humiliate a constituted authority in his own territory? I felt very bad for the governor. Mrs Jagaban needs to exercise restraint. We’ve had several First Ladies before her,” another X user, @TomTom_149, posted.

@Afobaje_X said, “Mrs Remi Tinubu is such an overbearing, high-handed, despotic, domineering, arrogant, and condescending woman. She oozes these traits without even having to talk or act. You don’t expect a sane and progressive society with Nigeria in the hands of people like her. Sad.”

“Oluremi Tinubu is a very disrespectful woman. The governor of Osun State is simply expressing his joyful heart to God for the event, and you disrupted him?” @realTobiAkinbo posted.

Meanwhile, the Ooni expressed deep appreciation to the first lady during the event for her unwavering support over the years.

“She is the mother of the nation. Exactly 10 years ago, on the 7th of December 2015, she stood by me through thick and thin,” he said.